How to Change Rear Brake Pads
Rear disc brakes are becoming more and more popular on cars and light trucks. They feature rear rotors, calipers and brake pads. Rear disc brakes work better than drum brakes and require no adjustment when the pad linings wear. Because there are so many different types of vehicles with so many different designs, specifically instructing someone how to change the rear pads on their vehicle is basically a guideline to the similarities in rear disc brakes. A proper repair manual specific to your vehicle would be highly recommended to perform the repair correctly.
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Things You'll Need
- Vehicle-specific repair manual
- Car jack
- Jack stands
- New hand pump
- Small cup
- Brake fluid (vehicle-specific)
- Lug wrench
- Screwdriver
- Ratchet and socket set
- Hand wrench set
- C-clamp
- Rear disc brake and caliper tool set (optional)
- Needle-nose pliers (optional)
- Pad replacement kit
- Brake lubricant
- Torque wrench and suitable socket
Instructions
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1
Insert a clean hand pump into the master cylinder and pump out about 1/3 of the brake fluid into a small cup. Replace the master cylinder cap or cover.
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2
Loosen the wheel nuts with the lug wrench before lifting the rear axle. Lift the rear of the car, one side at a time and support each side onto an appropriately placed jack stand. Remove the wheel nuts and wheels.
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3
Remove the parking brake cable from the caliper lever if required. A screwdriver or needle-nose pliers usually help achieve this. Not all rear calipers require the brake cable to be removed and some that do may not require doing so unless the caliper is being removed. The repair manual would illustrate what type of caliper is employed on your vehicle.
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4
Remove the caliper guide bolts with a ratchet and socket or a hand wrench. Some vehicles only require the removal of one rear caliper guide bolt. After removal, the caliper would then slide up or down and pivot on the other bolt or caliper slide. Most applications that feature this type of caliper do not require removing the caliper from the pivot in order to replace the pads. Replacing the rotors would require removing the caliper. Once the bolt or bolts are removed, lift the caliper off of the rotor.
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5
Remove the brake pads. Some vehicles feature rear pads that retain to the caliper housing and require prying off the retaining clips of the pads from the caliper housing. Other vehicles feature the pads sitting in a caliper bracket that remains on the wheel knuckle. Once the pads are removed, inspect the rotor for signs of damage or rust corrosion. Replace if necessary.
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6
Compress the caliper piston into the bore. Some vehicles can do this easily with a C-clamp. Others may feature screw-in pistons that require a rear disc brake and caliper tool kit (see Resources). The tool kit features different adapters for different vehicle types that use screw-in caliper pistons. Some vehicles may feature reverse thread on one of the calipers -- usually the right rear passenger side. Read the manual before trying to compress the piston or internal damage can occur to the caliper.
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7
Replace the pads and lubricate the caliper and bracket mating surfaces. Lubricate the caliper bolts if they have a smooth section to them. Do not lubricate the threads of a smooth caliper bolt and do not lubricate at all if the bolt features all threads.
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8
Align the caliper and/or caliper pad assembly over the rotor and then align the caliper bolts properly into the caliper bracket. Tighten the bolts according to torque specifications illustrated in your repair manual using a torque wrench and socket. Replace the wheel and wheel nuts and then tighten the wheel nuts according to the torque specifications illustrated in the repair manual.
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9
Repeat the procedure for the other side. Pump the foot brake pedal until it feels firm and is at its normal height. Check and adjust the brake fluid in the master cylinder adding only new brake fluid specific to your vehicle. Always test-drive a vehicle after performing a brake repair to ensure the brakes are working properly.
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